He flipped her to her back, rising above her. "Cried over you like a wee babe." He pinned her hands over her head. "I can feel, Regin. And it kil ed me to see you like that!" His eyes began to glow. "Which real y pissed me off, Valkyrie. Because any last hope that I could live without you vanished."

Declan wedged his h*ps between her legs as the need to make her his burned within him. "It will always be you, Regin." His free hand curled under her thigh to position his shaft.

"No, Chase!" She scrambled back from him, fighting his hold on her wrists. "Never!" She'd begun panting, br**sts rising and fal ing, her ni**les swol en. "You can't do this. No sex!"

"Does this mean you're feelin' something for me, Valkyrie? Maybe you want me to live now?" He leaned down to kiss her, but she yanked her head to the side.

"Do not kiss me," she hissed, her eyes flashing.

"No kissing of any kind, then?" As she tussled against him, he moved her bodily to a nearby bed of grass.

"What are you doing?" she snapped.

He captured her wrists in front of her, then knelt between her legs. "I just want a taste of you, Regin. I've dreamed of doing this to you."

"Forget it!" She tightened her knees.

He maneuvered his shoulders to work her thighs wider, then dipped his head to her blond curls. "One kiss, and I'll stop."

"Chase, damn you-"

He pressed his mouth to her quim and gave a lick, silencing her and shocking him. "Ah, f**k me!" She was delicious, her sex quivering and wet. He'd planned to ask her if she wanted him to stop. Impossible.

He set back in, his tongue delving for more.

She moaned and lightning struck overhead. His permission.

He released her wrists, and her hands flew to his head, not to shove him away, but to thread her fingers through his hair-the first time she'd touched him without anger.

More. He breathed her in.

"That's it, Regin. Let me do this to you." When she undulated to his mouth, his c**k pulsed even harder, moisture beading the head.

With each rol of her hips, he rocked his own, spreading his knees wider. He thrust against air, imagining his shaft was buried deep where his tongue plunged.

Heaven was pleasuring her with her lightning overhead to let him know he was doing it right. With each kiss, her skin glowed brighter, and something like ... like joy swept over him. I can satisfy her. In time, he could fix this between them.

"You're delicious." Between licks, he groaned, "Hot ... wet ... heaven."

At his words, she gave a strangled cry, and her legs fel open in total surrender. In invitation. He traced her glistening core with the pad of one finger.

"Inside," she moaned. When he eagerly slipped it into her tight sheath, her head thrashed. "Don't stop that, just don't stop. ..."

"You need these fil in' you, don't you, lass?" With a hungry flick of his tongue, he wedged another finger inside. "I'll get them nice and deep."

"Chase, I'm close!"

"Regin, come for me!" He bore down on her with his mouth, his fingers thrusting in time. "That's it, baby."

Her back bowed. A bolt of her lightning struck so close he felt the heat of it. "Chase!" she screamed as she began to orgasm.

When she clamped his head to draw him closer, he almost spil ed on the ground. As he licked in bliss, his spine tingled, his heavy bal ocks tightening. He commanded himself not to come as he wrung every shiver from her, every last cry.

He broke away only when she pushed against his forehead. When he rasped his stubbled cheeks against her thighs, she trembled anew.

For long moments, she stared up at the sky. Then she propped herself up on her elbows, meeting his gaze, her expression utterly inscrutable.

"Regin? Say something. I do no' like it when you're quiet."

Chase had pulled a fast one on her. Zing! This had all been a careful y crafted and executed plan. Get the volatile Valkyrie so pissed, she loses control.

And according to plan, she was now naked, on a bed of grass, with Declan Chase between her thighs.

The playah got played. She'd been ... predictable. Everything had burned out of control.

And was threatening to again. When his gaze dropped from her face back between her legs and he tightened his arms around her thighs, she said, "Don't even think about it."

With a darkening expression, he rose up on his knees, looking as if she'd just taken away his new favorite toy. His body was taut as a bowstring, his muscles rippling, his shaft jutting with need.

"What the hel , Chase? What was this?" He'd used her own personality against her, and she'd fallen right into his trap. She should throw him a curvebal . She should tease him, get him within a heartbeat of coming, then strut off, leaving him with a view of her sweet ass.

I'm going to femme fatale him! Like her sisters would. Oh, yeah, the playah's back in the house-

"Should be obvious what this was, no? If you're still confused, I can draw you a diagram."

Her eyes went wide, her hand fisting in the mud beside her bed of grass.

"Hint: slot B is delicious-"

Splat. Without thought, she'd thrown mud all over his face. So much for femme fatale.

He sputtered in disbelief, then roared, "What the ever-livin' feck-"

Splat, splat. Muck covered his torso. And gods help her, his reaction almost had her cackling.

"That's how you want to play?" He snagged her ankle, dragging her closer to smear a handful of mud across her thighs. Though she scrambled to get away, he coated her bel y with a generous swipe, then tossed a glob over her br**sts.

"Dick!" She beaned one of his legs with another salvo, bringing the heat.

He released her to scoop up mounds of ammunition in both hands. In an ominous tone, he said, "Regin, there're two ways we can do this-"

Splat. Tagged his other thigh. Which left only one place that she hadn't hit. A big target.

He fol owed her gaze down. "Do no' even think of it. You do it, and You'll be cleanin' me up."

Splat.

Chapter FORTY-FIVE

Declan gazed down at his mud-coated groin. "Little witch." He dropped his handfuls, then lunged for her, scooping her against his chest to head for the stream.

He swung her up and tossed her in, fol owing right behind her. She gasped, swiping hair out of her eyes as he dunked under and scrubbed the mud off his face.

"I warned you." He snagged her wrist and brought her palm to his chest, wiping away the streaks. "You made this mess, you clean it up."

She narrowed her eyes, no doubt to curse him, but his other hand on her breast silenced her. "I'll be doin' the same." He brushed his thumb over her nipple, and her lids went heavy. When he released her wrist and cupped both br**sts, she sucked in a breath.

A heartbeat passed, and another ... "Damn you," she whispered. Then, of her own accord, she glided her soft hands over his chest. With each stroke she uncovered more skin. Scarred skin. But she didn't shy away. In fact, once she'd cleaned away the mud, she traced some of the marks, her gaze fol owing her fingers.

I'd kill to know what she's thinkin'.

With one hand, he began rubbing her bel y, cleaning her as promised. With his other, he smoothed mud from her thighs.

She reciprocated, reaching down and sweeping her palms up his legs. His knees went weak as her hands climbed higher.

"How was your plan supposed to end?" she murmured, her fingers grazing just below his aching ballocks. Would she touch him there?

"With me makin' love to you." He began kneading her br**sts.

Even as she arched to his hands, she said, "That won't happen."

"Then I'd cal it a win if I get to pleasure you again." He lightly pinched her sensitive ni**les, making her sway. "I want to be a good lover to you." Now that he'd discovered he could pleasure her, he wanted to excel, to be the best she'd ever had.

"And what about you?" She gripped his shaft with her palm, and he jolted upright. "Doesn't this ache?"

Voice breaking low, he said, "Like the devil." A slow stroke had him groaning, "That feels so good."

"Just cleaning up the mess I made."

"You keep doin' that, lass, and I'll add to it."

She peered up at him with silvery eyes. "That's a shame. 'Cause I had plans for this." She gave him a squeeze.

If not to make love, then ... His jaw slackened. She wants to go down on me?

Never had it been so important not to come. Gritting his teeth, he somehow kept his seed as she scrubbed him thoroughly.

Twice he almost spil ed it-when she ran her thumb in circles over his cockhead, and when she firmly grasped his bal ocks while she stroked. Before this night, he'd had no idea how much he would particularly enjoy the latter.

"There. all done," she said in a throaty voice. "I'll bet it's so clean I could eat off of it."

Brows drawn, he swal owed audibly. "One way to find out."

Stil holding him, she turned back toward the shore.

Regin had a mountain of a man na**d on a bed of grass, with her kneeling between his legs, her palm cupping his shaft. And she wasn't feeling so much played as powerful.

We won't do more than scratch an itch, she assured herself. Just as Natalya and Brandr had done.

With his accent thicker than she'd ever heard it, Chase said, "Leadin' a man by his cock, lass?"

His husky voice made her shiver, her ni**les puckering even harder. She was melting for this wicked Celt. "That a problem?"

He shook his head gravely. "Can no' think why that phrase has a negative connotation."

Never taking her eyes from his, she bent down and ran her tongue over the swol en tip.

He exhaled a ragged breath. "Almighty." A wet lick around the crown made him shudder.

He leaned up on his elbow to watch her, the muscles of his torso rippling. With his other hand, he brushed her hair back. "Want to see your beautiful face. Been waitin' all my life to be with you like this."

Her heart seemed to flutter. No, just scratching an itch.

Chase certainly didn't think that. As she brought her lips over the head, she gazed up at his expression -dark brows knitted, gray eyes ablaze with yearning.

When she grasped the base of his shaft and sucked him deeper, he breathed, "Ah, f**k me," and gods help her, she wanted to at that moment.

He drew his knees up, his h*ps subtly thrusting as he cradled the back of her head. His thighs were quaking, brawny muscles contracting. Already close.

She broke away to say, "You like this?"

"I hate it."

She almost grinned. His reactions were seducing her all over again. The low rumbling sounds he made.

The way he was so obviously struggling to hold out.

The hand on her head was shaking as he pressed her down for more.

Nothing had ever turned her on so intensely as this. Her ni**les ached, her clitoris throbbing for release. She reached between her legs, stroking wet flesh, her eyes closing with bliss.

When she moaned around him, he rasped, "The only thing that could make this better is you coming on my tongue again."

She blinked open her eyes in confusion. He'd pulled out of her grip, maneuvering her body to lie beside his until she faced his shaft-and he faced her sex.

With his fingers splayed tight over her ass, he gave a harsh growl, then buried his mouth between her legs. She could feel his hot breath, the desperate flicks of his strong tongue.

"Chase!" She almost went over the edge right then. When he raised one knee, rocking his h*ps toward her, she eagerly drew his length to her mouth again, suckling it with greedy pulls.

"Unh ..." He groaned against her flesh and bucked to her lips.

But when she grasped his bal s and tugged, he broke away to yel , "Ah, more o' that! You're making me -"

She sank the claws of her free hand into his muscled ass, clutching him closer. He jerked in surprise, roaring, "God almighty! Comin', Regin!" then returned to licking her madly.

Yes, yes, yes! Sucking harder, she ground against his tongue, beginning to come in a wet rush. She was screaming around his engorged shaft when he erupted, pumping his se**n free.

Mindless with waves of pleasure, she drew him deeper, deeper. ...

Chapter FORTY-SIX

God in heaven, woman." Declan lifted her, laying her against his side. "That'l change a man's outlook on life real quick."

The best way to bring a male back from the brink? Hot o**l s*x with a Valkyrie. And he finally understood what her little claws were all about!

As a light rain fel over their heated skin, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, groaning in satisfaction. Complete peace. For the first time in his life.

The strain was gone, and in its place was something like elation. Oh, aye, elation and excitement coursed through him. He finally believed he could look forward to more with her.

His woman. A future worth fighting for. all the things that had been missing from his life for so long.

More.

"That shouldn't have happened," she muttered.

"I'll argue that point to my dyin' breath. Do you deny you enjoyed that? You're glowin' bright as day, and you came hard enough. Twice."

"Oh, please! I hadn't rubbed one out in more than three weeks. Diaper play would've gotten me off at this point."

"I'll make a note."

She stiffened beside him. "This doesn't change anything."

"Regin, it changes everything! You're attracted to me." And I can be what you need in bed. "Anything else I can fix."

"Like your scathing hatred for my world?"

He pinched her chin, tipping her head back. "Then show it to me! Show me why I was wrong to hate it."

"It's too deep-seated in you, too ingrained."

"Maybe it was before, but I must be shakin' it. Hel , I don't know up from down anymore. Nothing about me is fixed."

She murmured, "You're unfinished."

"Aye, precisely."

"I need to go."

When she moved to get up, he shoved her against his side and slapped her arse to keep her there.

"You stay with me."

She snapped, "What do you want from me, Chase?"

He drew his head back in confusion. "I want everything. You're mine, Regin." He'd earned her by right of every miserable second of his life. "Let me tell you how this is goin' to go down. I'll get you and your friends off this island, and then you and I will figure out a place to put down roots." Her lips worked soundlessly. "Speechless? Would've thought that an impossibility." He nipped the tip of her ear. "I might